Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Alstroemeria hybrid.
Variety denomination: xe2x80x98Sophiexe2x80x99.
The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Alstroemeria plant, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Sophiexe2x80x99.
xe2x80x98Sophiexe2x80x99 originated from a hybridization made in a controlled breeding program in Chichester in Sussex, United Kingdom by the inventor Robert Adrian Goemans. The female parent is an unnamed, unpatented, cultivar from a cross between Alstroemeria aurea xe2x80x98Luteaxe2x80x99 and Alstroemeria pelegrina xe2x80x98Albaxe2x80x99. The male parent of xe2x80x98Sophiexe2x80x99 is an unnamed selection of a dwarf Butterfly type cultivar (unpatented).
xe2x80x98Sophiexe2x80x99 was discovered and selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated parentage by Robert Adrian Goemans in 1998 in a controlled environment in Chichester, United Kingdom. The first act of asexual reproduction of xe2x80x98Sophiexe2x80x99 was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in May, 1999 in a controlled environment in Chichester, United Kingdom. Horticultural examination of selected plants initiated in 1999 has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for xe2x80x98Sophiexe2x80x99 are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of which in combination distinguish this Alstroemeria as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Suitable for pots larger than 7 cm;
2. Growth height 10-30 cm under greenhouse conditions;
3. Bushy-dwarf growth habit;
4. Pale purple flowers with a yellow base, black stripes on at least 1 to 2 tepals; and
5. 3 weeks inflorescence longevity on the plant, 2 weeks as a cut flower.
There are no commercial cultivars known to the inventor, similar in comparison to xe2x80x98Sophiexe2x80x99. In comparison to xe2x80x98Sophiexe2x80x99, the female parental cultivar is tall and has a pale yellow color; and the male parental cultivar is very small in size and blue in color.
xe2x80x98Sophiexe2x80x99 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length, without any change in genotype. The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown in Chichester, Sussex, United Kingdom under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial practice.